The latest Eurostat livestock report which was published this week shows that some livestock figures in the EU are in decline despite a predicted increase in demand.
The report showed a decrease in cattle, sheep and pig populations in the EU27 between the years 2012 and 2021.
The number of cattle is down from 77.5 million head in 2012 to 75.6 million in 2021. This represents a decrease of almost 2.5%, the biggest drop of all livestock.
Sheep populations experienced a 1% drop with numbers falling from 63.1 million to 62.4 million between the years 2012 and 2019. The number of pigs is also down by 0.8%, falling from 142.7 million head in 2012 to 141.8 million in 2021.
While livestock figures are down, dairy production figures showed a steady increase over a seven-year period between 2013 and 2020.
Within the EU27, 160.1 million tonnes of milk were produced in 2020 which represents a 2% increase on the previous year. Looking back to 2013, the EU produced 15 million more tonnes of milk in 2020 than in 2013, a 9.4% increase.
Increases in demand
Declining livestock figures may be cause for concern as the global population grows rapidly, according to Eurostat. Estimated to reach 1 0 billion by 2050, the world will then need to feed an extra 2.3 billion people.
As a result of this among a number of factors, demand for livestock is forecasted to rise significantly, according to a recent report by the United Nations Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO).
The FAO states that growth in the livestock sector has exceeded that of the crop sector and estimates that all categories of animal and dairy products will see an increase in consumer demand by 2030. In addition to this, it’s also estimated that demand for animal products within developing countries will more than double by the same year.